Retracing steps after 9 years

In December of 2008, Chetak (my trusty Bullet Electra) and I headed down south from Delhi towards the Konkan coast. Today, Sheetal and I headed out retracing the old route and re-living the Great Escape of 2008. Tonight in Amer. Tomorrow further south to Udaipur. Then Baroda, Bombay, Tarkarli, and finally reaching Chapora on Ganesh Chathurti. One of the great mountaineers of the 20th century once said that there can be no adventure without prospect of death. Not to go to those extremes! - but I feel I understand what he meant and I guess my version would read: "...there is no adventure without uncertainty..."

October 2008. Remembering BMC at HMI. Everlasting memories of my first peak ascent, the fantastic instructors especially Devi Singh Sir, and the singing & dancing in the barracks after a hard day's work. Thinking also of the debates with and real stories shared by the faujis in the course (GR, Ladakh Scouts, Sikh LI, Grenadiers, Armoured Corp), the re-inforced sense of respect I developed for them, and thankful for their friendship and companionship through the month we were together. Many strong images imprinted forever in my mind, especially the 2 young Lance Naiks from the Ladakh Scouts - in the few weeks we spent up at the Rathong glacier, every morning before dawn when I struggled to leave the meagre warmth of the sleeping bag and could hear the icy winds raging outside, they were already in full combat kit and in the middle of their morning prayers. I would just sit and watch them for a few moments. One of them (the quiet one) was scheduled to return to Siachen after the course. That's him on my right in the photo. Sometimes even in the middle of a normal work day at the office, I think of those boys and the rest of the motley crew.

 Frey Peak. 5830m. Tenzing's pre-Everest.

 Rathong glacier. Beyond yonder lies Nepal.

Dodital Lake (Garhwal) - March 2016

October 2015 - Night trek in the jungles of Powalgarh, home of the fabled Bachelor of Powalgarh

16th September, 2015 - Gonmaru-la (5100m; Markha Valley, Ladakh). Probably the first difficult grade trek that I did together with Sheetal, my wife and friend. Her incredible will to move forward in the face of adversity (and we had a few very difficult days) gave me strength when I needed it the most myself on the last 2 days. This was supplemented by our Sirdar - Tashi. His constant humor and carefree banter was initially a bit irritating. After a few days, we realised that whether he is doing is consciously or unconsciously, its helping us get through the difficult patches. High performance teams are those that 'rope up' in a strong, tight loop such that a 'common energy' coarses through the loop, across each member's veins, and drives the group to the pass, to the peak. In my 18 years of corporate work experience, I have rarely seen any managers understand this basic fact or have the ability to work it.

Looking down from Gonmaru-la at the final stretch leading up to it.

Looking up at Gonmaru-la with 10m to go.

With Tashi, our indomitable guide with boundless energy. Walk in the park this was for him!

Just for the record. One reads a lot of material written by folks talking about 'conquest', 'attack', etc. I feel none of that when I finally get to the top of a peak or a pass. I feel only humble and thankful that I still have the will and a injury-free body to make it this far. You don't 'conquer' a mountain, or a pass, or a valley. You are just passing through and the mountain lets you. Develop a bit of ego and it will cost you. I have learnt to always listen to the mountain, your guide, and more experienced adventurers.

Uttarkashi, Garhwal Himalayas

In the heart of the mighty Himalayas, there lies an area known as 'paradise on earth', 'temple of nature'. In magnificent sublimity, there is no other mountain region in all of the world like the Uttarakhand Himalayas. Here came the ancient Aryans to seek divine knowledge and maybe they found something because of which they named it 'Dev Bhoomi'. Here were born pure thoughts unsullied by selfish passions, the greatest revelations explaining mysteries of nature, long before science was able to explain them - the atomic theory, theory of relativity and vibration. Maya and Tattavams proclaimed telepathy long before the human brain was found to emit waves. Deep within these mountains are memories of the great Gautama Buddha in search of salvation. There is something about these mountains that pulls a certain clan of men to it. We are a young species. I have had experiences in the mountains, which I rather not talk about in a blog, leading me to believe the ones who say that we don't know enough about the world we live in. Maybe there isn't sufficient stillness anymore for us to see it, feel it, understand it.

Changma-Stok village-Leh